The Healing Begins
by sugarless5
Summary: Quick little one shot. Angel shows up just as the Sunnydale crew is standing, looking at the crater at the end of Chosen. Totally schmultzy


**A/N: Okay so let me explain a bit about this. I'm kind of stuck with the story I'm writing - I'm good with short little stories but there are a whole lot of elements I want in the one I'm trying to write and it's slow going. So I took my mind off it for a while, maybe think of other scenarios, etc. Days (okay maybe a couple of weeks... I need to pick that fic up again) later, I get this mental scene of a completely schmultzy romantic moment between Buffy and Angel. **

**When I say schmultzy and romantic, I'm not messing around here. We're talking slow motion running towards each other, big cheesy music that swells, the works. We're talking cheese fest. And I couldn't get it out of my head! I had to write it down. of course, when writing it down, I had to tone down some of it and make it more legit. In any event, ladies and gets, (but probably mostly ladies) this is that scene. **

**A warning - I'm aware that in the scene I use for the launching point, Angel couldn't actually be outside because of the whole daylight/burning/vampire situation. Yeah I don't care, we're pretending that isn't an issue here. ****. **

**So. Summary: This starts of in the last moments of Chosen. Also, of course, I don't own anything, yadda yadda. **

"Yeah, what do you want to do now?"

Buffy slowly let a smile creep across her face, imagining all the possibilities. She turned around, knowing he was there.

Angel stood next to the bus. They looked at each other for a minute before he cleared his throat.

"I got the second front ready back in LA, like you said. Detailed instructions and everything, in case something went wrong, but I-"

The people surrounding the two of them – the Scoobies, the newly empowered Slayers – all went unnoticed as he struggled for words.

"I wasn't there when you died last time. Who knows if I could have helped, but I'll always wonder… if I'd been there…" he broke off, getting control of himself and struggling against his natural inclination to remain silent and stoic. He'd lost too much recently to take this chance to tell her how he feels for granted.

"If something happened, I wanted to…God, to at least see you, even one last time. It didn't feel right that I didn't get to see you at the end last time." He looked down for a minute. "Nothing about what happened felt right." He looked back at her. "After I got back to LA I realized I'd be _damned_ if I didn't do everything in my power to help you. Or… to at least get the chance to tell you…" his voice broke. "To tell you how much I love you. Still. Always."

Buffy stared at him a moment longer and he shifted uncomfortably. What was he thinking, coming down here and giving her some sappy speech about his feelings? Maybe she was annoyed that he did listen to her. Maybe she thought he was trying to make decisions for her again. Maybe that baking thing meant she didn't want to see him at all. He started to inwardly panic as thoughts continued to race through his mind. Maybe she secretly liked that he was quiet and he just blew it. Maybe Spike-

She smiled, and damned if it wasn't like the sun breaking through the clouds. He couldn't stop the answering smile that broke across his face.

She ran to him and he caught her, pulling her into a deep kiss. Their hands came up to cup each others faces and tangle in each others hair. Their kiss was hot, needy, passionate and desperate. Rather than a duel for dominance or a tentative exploration, it was an affirmation that they were both there, a declaration that they were partners in this love, this emotion that sometimes felt bigger than the two of them.

Oblivious to the cheers and whistles coming from their audience as they broke off their kiss, they clutched each other in a tight embrace, assuring themselves and each other that they were still there. They stood like that for a moment before the sadness and guilt hit her. She squeezed her eyes shut and let a few tears loose at the thought of the lives lost that day.

Angel just held her tighter, riding out the wave of emotion with her, helping her keep her footing.

Their audience watched with mixed emotions. The new slayers looked on with expressions of confusion mingled with shock at the sight of the girl many viewed as a hardass coach. A few wiped tears from their eyes at the romantic display. Giles cleaned his glasses, an expression that held equal parts tenderness, resignation and acceptance crossing his face.

Xander watched his best friend and his old rival, uninterested in old grudges as images of Anya played through his mind. Both Willow and Dawn heaved a big romantic sigh. Kennedy rolled her eyes at Andrew, who was openly sobbing into her shoulder, murmuring "…so beautiful!"

Faith gave Angel a thumbs up and a comic smile behind Buffy's back.

He finally pulled away with a question in his eyes. "Spike?" was all he said.

Buffy just shook her head, another tear sliding out. Angel brushed it away. "How?" he asked.

"An honest to God blaze of glory," she said.

That surprised a laugh out of him. "He'd have gotten a kick out of that," he said, pulling her to him, burying his face in her hair as she buried hers in his shirt.

He squeezed her one last time before letting go. "You're hurt," he said to her. He scanned the warriors before him. "You all are. I have first aid supplies in my car."

They all started forward, ready for the healing process to begin.

**God, I should write Lifetime movies. :-p Review - if you're going to poke fun at it, just do it in good fun. If you genuinely liked it, well then THANKS! I really did try to keep it at least somewhat decent and plausible. **


End file.
